Phantom of the Opera
by HobbitPowerAndAragorn
Summary: A short story where love for the deformed and broken still exists
1. Chapter1

Lizzie was looking at the empty seats in the opera hall. She stood completely alone on the stage. Her light blue dress rested lightly on her body. It was made to fit her perfectly as to all other dancers who had the same dresses. She was indeed a dancer in the Paris opera. Now when the last performance ended, the day was going to its end and the opera hall was empty she dared to sing. She sang a song that was of her own making. The story of hunchback of Notredam. That was her favourite story when she was young. Her mother would often read it to her before bedtime. So now on the stage of Paris opera she sang it.

 _People could see, his body, not whole_ _But noone would see inside of his soul_ _The beauty of him was hidden within..._

She could imagine the hall full of people, listening to her intensely. But it was all inside her head. In truth she was merely a dancer who would never become a prima donna. Nevertheless she enjoyed the evenings when the opera hall was empty and she could sing. She inherited the beautiful voice from her mother who was singer, but it was her father who thought her music. He was a genius on a piano with the perfect hearing. He would often compose songs for his wife and daughter to sing. Her father was famous for his piano trough all of Italy. But those days were over when both of her parents died in a house fire when she was 12. Since then she went from one home to another. But in every home it seemed the people were only after the fame of her father. They all assumed that helping the daughter of the famous pianist would bring them fame as well. But when they realised that wont happen they sent her away. And so in the end she found herself in the orphanage with noone to want her. She left this god forsaken place when she was 18 and tried her luck in the world. At first she was a maid in lots of Italian operas, but then they discovered her dancing talent and she became a dancer. Singing was not an option anywhere no matter how much she wished it. It was only a month ago that she left Italy and came to Paris where hoped to have chance of singing.

 _A beautiful creature to the church found her way_ _Kvasimodo would hide, and to him she would say_ _Creature of darkness don't be afraid_ _I'm not as the others, I am your friend..._

There she would suddenly stop singing. She did not know how to continue the song.

"Why did you stop?" a voice echoed trough the opera hall. She looked up and at the lodge 5 she saw a dark figure with a white mask. That must be the opera ghost she thought. She heard stories about him but never saw him until now.

"I do not know how to continue" she answered without fear. The ghost only looked at her for a while, then left without a reply. For a moment she would have her eyes on the lodge 5, then she turned to the imaginary audience and bowed, hearing the clapping of a thousand people.

"I saw the ghost today" she would tell Meg before the performance. "so he is real!" she said "mother always warned us about him but I never truly believed"

"Yes, he is real" Lizzie said "He's dressed all in black and a white mask covers his face" in her mind she was back at the stage looking at the mysterious man. It was something about him that wouldn't let her to stop thinking about him.

As it happened one day Carlotta the lead singer did not want to sing anymore. Lizzie did not know why but she was thrilled when she heard that she was the one to replace her. It was madame Giry who suggested her for a new singer. Lizzie did not know how the knew of her ability to sing but at that time she didn't care.

She sang and felt her dreams coming true. Singing infront of hall full of people in a beautiful dress. She never felt better. And in between her performance she noticed a young man in the lodge 5. The same lodge as she first met the opera ghost. She recognized him. It was Raoul. Her childhood sweetheart. Their families had arranged marriage between them right after they were born. Fathers were good friends and they wanted to connect their families. But after the fire when Lizzie was left orphaned noone cared about her anymore. Raul's family did not care about the poor child now that the famous parents were gone. She remembered missing Raul for some time after that. He was her best friend. Yet she then quickly forgot about him as her life grew harder with no place for dreaming of the past.

He noticed her too. After the show he visited her in her room "Little Lizzie" he said. They talked for some time and she felt as joyful as she did back then. He took her out for dinner and they talked and talked until the clock rang half past midnight and Lizzie returned back to the opera. It felt good to find her childhood friend again and to have a person in her life that was not so unfamiliar as all the other faces.

Next evening she was back at the stage, singing her sing and somehow hoping the ghost would be back. As she came to the end of her scarce song she was disappointed, because there was noone in the lodge 5. She wanted to leave when she heard him. A beautiful voice continued her song.

 _Beautiful creature do I not disgust you?_ _I wonder, would you say the same if you knew_ _The sight of deformed creature of night_ _Could you really feel something that wouldn't be fright?..._

As he sang the words she knew it was a perfect continuation of her song. She was hypnotised with his voice. It was the most bewitching sound she ever heard. She closed her eyes and and a song came from her.

 _Creature of darkness I do not fear you_ _Believe me when I say your beauty is true_ _For I see your soul and feel that inside_ _You're not the monster which in shadows should hide..._

As she sang she could feel a pair of hands in leather gloves on her shoulders, tracing down her arms until he found her hands and their fingers intertwined. She leaned back as the opera ghost sang in her ear. Their voices were combined in a perfect harmony and she could feel nothing but comfort and delight. Then he spun her around and she opened her eyes and locked them with his. "Come" he said. She was drawn through the golden hallways by the hand of the Phantom of the opera as he sang his song and she got lost in his voice.

It was only a day later when she returned, that she could really acknowledge what happened. Her memory went back to that night. She remembered a lake and a glorious chamber. She could still feel his hands around her waist, how he was holding her in his embrace, singing music as elegant as night. They would dance, their bodies closely together. And his voice. His magical voice still echoed trough her head...

Then the beautiful memories were sewered by the thought of what happened at the end of the night. Her curiousity got the better of her and she took off his mask. "Damn you!.." why did she do it she thought to herself. The night could last forever if only she wouldn't touch that mask. He took her back then. But she felt regret, she wanted to go back down there, wanted to see the magic of that place again, to feel his hands on her hips, to hear his voice... But sadly it was all over.

Yet despite what the believed the phantom didn't forget about her. She heard that he requested her to sing the lead role in the next show. The owners of the theatre however didn't agree no matter how much madame Giry warned them. "Lizzie should sing" she told them "the ghost demands it!"

"Carlotta will be singing the lead role!" was all they had to say about the matter. And so Lizzie played the silent part. Everything went as planned until the phantom showed. When she saw him her breathing stopped, her heart was bitting faster. He was standing under the ceiling in all his glory, dark clothes and a white mask.

"Did I not instruct that Elizabeth should sing the lead role!" echoed trough the hall.

"That toad?" Carlotta laughed

"Perhaps it is you that are a toad madame" he said. After that everything turned and catastrophe began.


	2. Chapter 2

All of a sudden Carlotta lost the ability to sing. It was a disaster on stage. She was brought down from the stage and now Lizzie was the one to sing. But before the show could start again a hanged body dangled from the ceiling. Lizzie looked up and she saw him. The Phantom. Why would he do this?

Raul who was in the audience was now grabbing Lizzie's hand "we must leave!" he said but all Lizzie could do was stare at the phantom as he looked down at her as she couldn't believe that he would do such a thing. Raul saw where she was looking at "so he is real" he said "the phantom of the opera!" he pulled Lizzie away and out of the opera "I don't think is safe in there anymore" he said "I want you to stay with me from now on"

At that time Lizzie didn't oppose. She could not believe in what just happened. The man who showed her true beauty of music, who could seduce anyone with his voice was now a murderer. So she went with Raul.

For three months she lived with him and they got closer. His parents welcomed her again in their family and suddenly the marriage was arranged again. She didn't love Raul in that way but she didn't say no ether. He was a good man who could provide her a great life. She never said anything about them leaving her when her parents got killed. But she didn't care anyway. This could be a new life for her. Raul was a great man and good looking too, she knew that she could love him if only it wouldn't be for a ghost that was still singing somewhere in the back of her mind. But she pushed it away. He was a murderer she told herself. Raul was the right one.

Yet she couldn't resist when there was a masquerade in the opera. Raul did not like the idea of going but he would do anything to make Lizzie happy. She was grateful that such a good man loved her, but the fact that she could not now love him back as passionately as he did filled her with guilt. Nonetheless the told herself that she could learn to love him eventually.

As the masquerade began she danced with Raul and felt happy. She drank some wine and talked to everyone she didn't see for the past three months. The evening went beautifully until he came. At the top of the stairs he stood in a red suit and a black mask. Raul quickly went to get the officers. But Lizzie could hardly notice him. His eyes were on the Phantom. Her heart skipped a bit when she looked at him but she ignored it. He is a murderer. She should not have feelings for him. Her face was giving away only hatred towards a murderer, no sign of love for a music genius if there ever was any. Everything in the hall stopped.

"Did you think I will not come?" he said while descending down the stairs.

"You fools thought that I left my own theatre" he laughed. His eyes were locked with Lizzie's all the time. Others were afraid, but she had no fear. She felt hurt looking into his eyes. How could he kill? Was all that went through her mind.

"I have written you an opera" he said "Don Juan"

He told Carlotta that she has to learn to act and Piangi to lose some weight. Then he was already by her. He walked around her and her heart was pounding. Noone dared to come near them. "Lizzie will be playing the lead role" he said right by her ear but loud enough for everyone to hear. Then all of a sudden he disappeared, leaving sheets of notes on the ground. As Raul came back with the guards he was already gone.

Lizzie did not fear to act in a Don Juan, what bothered her more was that Raul made a plan how to capture the phantom, but there was nothing she could do. And beside he was a murderer and capturing him would be the right thing to do. But did she really believe that?

As the night of the Don Juan finally came she sang perfectly. Piangi was playing Don Juan and she was his love. Everything went as planned until the last act. She was sitting on the ground singing, when she heard his voice. It wasn't Piangi anymore. It was him. She looked towards him and stood up. It felt like the point of no return. As he sang to her she forgot all about the murder, she forgot the guards on every door, she forgot Raul, all that was on her mind was him and his voice. As she joined him in his singing the song was full. They both ascended the stairs, eyes locked. At the top they met. She felt how close she was and he changed the song. He sang only for her. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime..."

She felt his hand on her cheek the other around her waist.

"Lead me, save me from my solitude..."

His words were pouring out of him with sadness and love. Her hands touched his face.

"Say you want me, with you here, beside you..."

All she wanted was to be in his embrace again. But no. Something stopped her. He was a murderer!

"Anywhere you go let me go too Lizzie, that's all I ask of..."

She pulled of his mask. A laud scream was heard and chaos broke out. A murderer! Her head was shouting. But as she saw the hurt on his face she felt sorry. The phantom grabbed her and they fell down trough the hole. She got scared as he dragged her trough the dusty hallways. "No!" she screamed. Will he hurt her now because of what she did? But could he really do it she thought. He is a murderer! Would he really hurt her? A murderer!

They came back down by the lake. "I gave you my music!" he said "and now how you repay me, deny me and betray me!"

She wanted to tell him it wasn't true, but it was wasn't it. She wanted to run to him as he raged in the water and tell him they will be together forever. But that would be a lie. She could never stay here. He was a murderer. He killed.

"Let her go!" it was Raul. He came to her rescue. It didn't took long that the phantom tied Raul and put a rope around his neck.

"No!" screamed Lizzie "Don't kill him! "

"Free her, do what you want only free her! Show some compassion! " said Raul

"The world showed no compassion to me!" said Phantom "Nothing can save you now!"

Then he turned towards Lizzie "Except perhaps Elizabeth. Start a new life with me, buy his freedom with your love!refuse me and you sent your lover to his death! This is your choice, this is the point of no return!"

The phantom pulled the rope so that Raul was barley breathing. "Don't!" she shouted and ran to the phantom "Please don't kill him!" she begged.

She was looking into his eyes. Not eyes of a murderer, but eyes of a hurt man. A man who wanted nothing but to be love. And in that moment she realised it.

"I never loved him" she said quietly. There it was. The truth. The phantom dropped the rope. Lizzie looked towards Raul "I'm sorry Raul"

"But..." be said "I thought I will love you eventually" she said "but I can't, I'm so sorry" Raul was hurt and shocked. He did not quite believe all that happened, how he just lost his love, but he just nodded and left. Lizzie felt sorry, she hurt him badly, but she also knew that he will get back up again and found someone new. As for her there was no more hiding her feelings. As she looked at the phantom giving her a choice she did not see a monster but a man. A hurt man who knew nothing but hatred ever since he was born. Noone acknowledged that he was a genius and also a human being. There were tears in his eyes

"Lizzie?" he asked not believing what just happened. He put his hand lightly on her cheek. She tucked his hair behind his deformed ear and put her hand on his scar.

"I love you" she said "And I did from a moment I heard your voice"

There was no more doubt in her. He killed, but it didn't matter to her now. She loved his music.she loved his voice. She loved him.

And there under the burning opera of Paris, in the glassy lake, they kissed.


End file.
